Locking device for follower-blocks



J. A. PEEL AND A. 1. FORD.-

LOCKING DEVICE FOR FOLLOWER BLOCKS. APPLICATION menom, 23. 1919.

1,355,257 x I Pdtented Oct. 12,1920.

JAM/5 A? PZZL, Av THU/Q J FORD.

UNITED STATES "PLA' *ENT omcr.

LOCKINGDEVIGE FOR FOLLOWER-BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct; 122( Application filed October 23, 1919. Serial 1Io.- 332,812.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES ALBERT PEEL, manufacturer, and. A THUR JOHN FORD, draftsman, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city of Lindsay, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looking Devices for F ollower-Blocks, of which the following is the specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in looking devices for follower blocks of filing drawers and the object of the invention is to provide a follower block lock which is so constructed that it will require a minimum amount of movement of'the lock operating lever to lock or unlock the block and yet which will provide an absolutely secure and positive lock and incidentally reduce the space required to contain the lock, thereby allowing the block to move to the extreme end of the drawer and thereby increase the filing space and it consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a follower block and our locking device for adjustably securing the block to the follower rod.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the block of our locking device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view on line X-Y Fig. 2.

' Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective detail of the locking lever of our locking device.

1 indicates a follower block and 2 a follower rod upon which the block is adj ustably secured so as to move longitudinally of the rod to be secured in any desired position thereon according to the method employed in file drawer constructions.

By our present invention we have improved the construction of lock for securing the follower block as illustrated at 1 to the follower rod as illustrated at 2.

The block 1 is provided with a vertical recess 3 the upper portion of which is provided with vertical grooves 4 at each Side of the base of the recess.

5 is a casing the front and back walls 6 and 7 of which are provided with orifices'S and 9 through which the rod 2 freely extends. The top wall 10 of the casing 5 is provided with a slot 11. The casing 5 is suitably secured to the lower edge of the follower block preferably'by means of screws located in position indicated by dotted lines a ll is our locking lever which is provided at its lowerend with a notch 15-.tliro1 1'gh which the rod 2 passes, the upper'edge of the notch having a biting engagementwith the upper peripheral portiono'f the rod'2, when in the locking position :as illustrated particularly in Fig. 2. The 'side'lo'ngitudinal edges of the lever 14 are turned inward at 16 and 17. The lower end of each portion 16 and 17 is provided with an inwardly extending tongue-like extension 18 the upper edge of which is inclined upward so that when the lever is in the locking position the extreme end of each tongue bears against the inner face of the upper wall of the casing 5 as it were clearly seen by referring to Fig. 2.

19 is a spring which is secured in proximity to the lower end of the lever 14 and bears at its upper or free end against the opposing face of the follower block in the base of the recess 3. lVhen it is desired to unlock our follower block the-upper end of the lever is pressed inward toward the follower block so as to compress the spring 19. The lever during this operation is fulcrumed on the extreme outer end of the tongue 18 and therefore as the upper end of the lever is forced toward the block, the upperedge of the notch 15 is carried out of engagement with the rod 2. The follower block may then be moved to the desired position, and the lever 17 released when the spring 19 will force the lever outward from the block and carry the upper edge of the notch 15 into engagement with the rod 2.

It will-be readily understood that by 10- cating the fulcrum at a point out of a line with the lever a very short movement of the upper end of the lever is required to carry its engaging portion clear of the rod 2 so as to free the follower block from the rod. It

will also be seen that by reducing the extent of the movement required that the locking device may be brought into closer relation to the face of the block the upper endbeing located within the lower edge of the base, of the follower block and therefore allowing the follower block to be moved right to the end of the drawer.

From this description it will be seen that we have devised a very simple construction of follower block lock which will be positive in its action, which is compact and yet which is simple in construction.

What we claim as our invention is.

1. In a locking device for follower blocks, the combination with the follower block and rod, of a casing carried upon the lower edge of the follower block and having horizontally alined opposing orifices in the vertical walls thereof through which the follower rod passes and having a slot in the top wall, a lever extending at its lower end through the slot, an inward extension to the lever adapted to bear against the inner face at the top of the casing and resilient means for forcing the'lever out to carry the lower end into engagement with the follower rod.

2. Ina locking device for follower blocks, the combination with the follower block and follower rod, of a casing secured to the lower edge of the follower block and having opposing orifices in its vertical walls through which the follower rod passes and'having a slot in its upper wall, a lever extending through the slot atits lower end and having a notch in its lower end edge through which the follower rod extends, tongues extending inwardly on each side of the lever at its lower end having their upper edges inclined upward so as to engage the inner face of the top wall of the casing at the extremeend, and resilient means for forcing the upper end of the lever outward to carry the base of the notch into engagement with the vfollower rod. r

' JAMES ALBERTPEEL.

ARTHUR JOHN FORD. 

